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ABUJA, Nigeria (September 11, 2026) — Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central, has declared that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso remains unbeatable in Kano State ahead of the 2027 presidential election, dismissing what he described as “noise” from Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and his allies.

Umeh said Kwankwaso, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate and former Kano governor, would retain his dominance in the state if the 2027 election is conducted in a credible, transparent, free, and fair manner. He dismissed suggestions from Governor Yusuf’s camp that recent political realignments in Kano could dislodge Kwankwaso’s influence, saying the governor’s activities would not be enough to unseat him. Umeh added that he was working closely with Kwankwaso and other NDC leaders as the party prepares to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.

The remarks came the same day Umeh separately pushed back on claims that NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi faces widespread rejection in northern Nigeria, describing that narrative as “make-believe” and “propaganda.” Umeh argued that the exchange of ideas, programmes, and policies among the candidates should be allowed to reach voters without intimidation. Obi’s pairing with Kwankwaso, a former two-term Kano governor and leader of the influential Kwankwasiyya movement, has added a significant northern dimension to the NDC ticket, with the party framing the alliance as one that unites Obi’s southern support base with Kwankwaso’s northern political network.

Kwankwaso’s standing in Kano is rooted in his performance in the 2023 election, when, running under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), he swept the state, winning more than 30 of its 44 local government areas against APC’s roughly eight. That result has anchored his reputation as the dominant political force in the state heading into 2027, even as Governor Yusuf — elected on the NNPP platform before a subsequent political falling-out with Kwankwaso — has sought to build an independent base of support.

Kwankwaso himself has repeatedly expressed confidence in the NDC ticket’s prospects nationally, saying in a recent NAN Personality Interview Series appearance that the Obi-Kwankwaso pairing is unmatched “in terms of credibility, capacity and, of course, love for the country,” and pointing to the combination of Obi’s southern strength and his own northern influence as the basis for a broad national coalition.

Neither Governor Yusuf’s office nor his allies referenced in Umeh’s remarks have publicly responded as of this report.

This is a developing story.